Improvement in bee-hives



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEoE.

ALLAN MGQUEEN, OF NORTH BERGEN, NEW YORK.

i IMPROVEMENT IN BEE-HIVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. [75.482, dated March 28, 1876; application filed December 10, 1875.

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, ALLAN MCQUEEN, of North Bergen, in the county of Genesee and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement iii Bee-Hives; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the conmat for absorbing the moisture is used, and

where a packing is used around the` broodboX to preserve warmth.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement ot' parts hereinafter more fully described.

The body of the hive consists of a base, A, and top or cover B, which parts ai'e separable, as usual. C is the brood-box, which rests independent-ly in the base A, and contains the comb-frames D D. The .brood-box, being iiidependent, can be removed bodily with the comb-frames from the hive at any time for the purpose of cleaning the interior of the hive without disturbing the bees. The broodboX consists simply of two closed sides, a a, united by cross-pieces b b, and the combframes are simply hung upon the top crosspieces, thereby leaving the front, rear, and top of the brood-box open or exposed. The

` open sides are covered by sheets 0 c of thick building-paper, and the top by a mat. These sheets c c, while preserving warmth in winter, can be easily removed from front or rear to examine the combs, which could not be the case if the four sides of the brood-box were solid. E is the removable rack or seat. It

' is a square frame which fits in the joint between the base A and top B, and by separat. ing said parts it can be removed from place -as` will presently be describe l.

` nearly the whole, cross area ot' the hive.

Fig. 5 is readily, thereby allowing the brood-box or its comb-frames to be lifted from the base when it is desired to do so. The rack is constructed with vertical flanges d d and horizontal ledges fffand in the center is a dividing-rail, g, having corresponding ledges. It thus forms two open sockets for receiving the honey-boxes, G is the mat. It is made of cotton inclosed between two layers of cloth and sewed together, as shown in Fig."4. It is of a size to [ill the whole, or H is a screen, consisting of a square board provided with ports or openings h h, covered with wire-cloth i e', and having on one side cleats k k. In winter' the rack E is tted over the brood-box, as shown in Fig. l, and the mat is laid on top the rack, the anges d d support- `ing it some dista-nce above the top of the comb-frames, so as to give proper ventilation. Intermediate cross-pieces m m may be used to keep the mat properly elevated and prevent it depressing through the rack. On top the mat is placed the screen H, and above this-the top of the hive is filled with clean straw n. Ventilating-holesjj are made through the ends of the hive at the top covered by wire-cloth, and these are screened or covered by the pendants p p. In summer the mat and straw are removed, and the honey-boxes K K are fitted into the sockets ofthe rack, resting on the ledges f f, which form seats to the same, and the screen H is placed on top the honey-boxes, as shown in Fig. 3. The rack E, therefore, has the twofold function of holding the mat elevated above the comb-frames in winter, and of receiving and holding the honeyboxes in suuimer, and is, at the same time, removable, thereby leaving the whole area of the body of the hive open for the insertion or removal of the brood-box and combframes. A I

The mat is more particularly for absorbing the vapors and moisture in winter, though it also serves, in common with the paper sheets c' c, to protect the brood-box from cold. In winter much moisture arises from the bees, and is liable to gather upon the surface ofthe combs and freeze, thereby preventing the bees from obtaining their supply of honey, and

causing them to starve. These vapors, rising, are absorbed by the mat. I have frequently removed a pint of water from the mat at once.

rlhe comb-frames D are vconstructed with two central cross-pieces, fr r, leaving a passage, s, in the center. This enables the bees to pass through from one frame to another, without going around. It also compels them to form two separate combs to each frame, by which means the combs are built straighter and more` compact. On the under side of each upper cross piece is a V-shaped comb-guide, t, which gives direction to the comb and enables the bees to build straight. On the edge of each frame are projecting lugs u u. This is for the purpose of keeping the comb-frames at proper distance apart. The lugs of each -frame rest against 'the smooth back of the next frame, thereby producing the proper separation, but preserving contact, and rendering the Whole series of frames stift' and compact. l,

v e are the slides covering the entrance-passages to the hives. They have horizontal and inclined slots w w', Fig.' 7, through which pass studs .1: be. This enables the slide to be elevated by the sliding movement and retained. 'In thelower slide the horizontal slot is uppermost, s o that the slide has a degree ot1 horizontal 'movement before it is raised. In one end ofthe bottom of this slide is cut an offset, g/of suihcient size to allow the passage of several bees at once. The horizontal movenient enables this offset to be moved more or less across the opening into the hive, so as to gage the size to the passage of one beealone, or more than one, as may be desired. By this means the passage may be closed, so thatthe 'bees can defend themselves againstv robbers.

' L is an apartment attached to the front of the hive, and covering the lower entrance-pas sage. In shape it is somewhat similar to the motl1-traps and bee-feeders which are sometimes attached in front of hives, but is larger, being about nine by fourteen inches. It is constructed with a sliding door, e, iu front, and with Ventilating-holes o o at the ends, covered by wire-gauze. It also has a sloping roof, with a glass pane, q, set therein to ad mit light. Its object is to furnish the bees a circulatingapartment where they can obtain air, light, and exercise in winter. It is also sometimes of service in summer to conneweak colonies to protect them from robbers. It differs from ordinary moth and feeding boxes, in being of larger size, and also of different construction.

I claim, in a bee-hive l. The comb-frames D, constructed with the cross-slats r r, with passages s between, the lugs u u and comb guides t, as and for, the purpose specified.

' 2. The notched slide o, constructed with the combined horizontal and inclined slats w w', whereby the slide is moved horizontally, and then raised vertically by a single action on the slide, as herein shownand described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my namein `the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALLAN MCQUEEN. Witnesses:

ARDEN SANFoRD, JOHN D. GIFFoRD. 

